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1. Field of the Invention
This invention generally relates to computer networks. In particular, the invention relates to Internet and intranet computer systems.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The Internet is an international network of interconnected government, education, and business computer networks. A person at a computer terminal or personal computer with the proper software communicates through the Internet by placing data in an Internet protocol (IP) packet with an address for a particular destination on the Internet. Using Transmission Control Protocol (TCP), transport of the packet is managed. Communication software on processors or routers on the intervening networks between the source and the destination network read the address assigned to the packet and forward the packets towards their destination.
Intranets are typically corporate networks that use the same networking or transport protocols as the Internet. Typically, dedicated servers provide access to corporate information in a cohesive fashion. For example, documents are stored in a HyperText Markup Language (HTML), and users of the intranet network use web browser software to obtain access to the documents. Thus, both the Internet and intranets may be IP networks.
The IP network allows a user to gain access to various applications and related data. For example, a user with web browser software enters an address of a desired application. The address and the user""s request for access is then routed through the IP network or a plurality of IP networks to an application server at the requested address. The user may then request further information such as an HTML document. Using HyperText Transport Protocol (HTTP), HTML documents are communicated to the user. The documents or other application information comprise content, such as a Intranet web page, graphics or information representing various text and graphics associated with a company and its services.
Various groups provide the servers and associated applications. For example, a corporation provides a content server for access to information about that corporation by users through the IP network. Multiple servers, each geographically remote to the other, may run the same applications for more efficient data retrieval. However, these servers operate independently.
As an application server responds to user requests, various temporary data is generated. The temporary data may include user selections, other user input information, status information associated with the application processing, or application generated information used for further processing. However, if the application server or associated memory fails, the temporary data may be lost.
The present invention is directed to a geographic data replication system and method. According to one feature of the invention, temporary data for a local server is replicated periodically to a remote server. According to a second feature, the temporary data for the remote server is replicated to the local server. Replication includes copying temporary data to file servers associated with the local and remote servers. Advantageously, an architecture according to the present invention allows for about 100% service availability. If a server fails, such as the local server, the remote server begins processing user requests based on the temporary data it received from the local server. Failure of a server may not result in failure of services or loss of previously generated temporary data.
In a particular first aspect of the invention, a method and associated system provide geographic data replication. Temporary data is stored on a first active file server. The first active file server is geographically remote from a second active file server. The temporary data associated with the first active file server is replicated to the second active file server.
In a second aspect of the invention, a system and associated method provide geographic data replication. The same content is provided with first and second application servers. The first application server is geographically remote from the second application server. First and second sets of temporary data associated with the content and with the first and second application servers, respectively, are replicated to the second and first application servers, respectively.